One of Lions GM Brad Holmes success stories as the director of collegiate scouting for the Los Angeles Rams was safety John Johnson III. With the news that Johnson is being released by the Cleveland Browns, could Holmes call upon his old draft find?
Johnson was a third-round pick in 2017 out of Boston College, where he was a college predecessor of Lions DB (and current free agent) Will Harris. After four successively impressive seasons with the Rams, Johnson cashed in and joined the Browns in free agency following the 2020 season.
“JJ3” as he’s known in Cleveland did not work out as well as hoped for the Browns. GM Andrew Berry confirmed the Browns will release Johnson on March 15th, making him a free agent.
Should the Lions have an interest in Johnson?
The veteran safety is certainly worthy of a long discussion amongst Lions brass. Between his positional versatility and his history of working under Holmes and assistant GM Ray Agnew, there is a lot to like about the 27-year-old Johnson.
Aside from an injury-impacted 2019, Johnson was consistently an above-average starting safety for the Rams from the get-go. His overall defensive Pro Football Focus grades were over 81.5 in all three of his full seasons with Los Angeles, and the eye test validated those marks. Johnson split his time almost evenly between being in the box and playing in a deeper role, with some slot corner work interspersed as well.
Johnson showed ball skills in coverage and sure tackling in the run game. He was a well-regarded free agent signing by the Browns in 2021.
For a variety of reasons, some of which have nothing to do with Johnson himself, the fit in Cleveland just didn’t work. In coordinator Joe Woods’ defense, poor communication and lack of assignment recognition plagued the Browns defense, which underachieved relative to talent in both 2021 and 2022. Woods was fired after 2022, a move popular with both media and fans in Cleveland.
Johnson had struggles in his own right. Most notable was his tackling; Johnson went from being a reliable, aggressive tackler to a more tentative and shakier one. This was especially noticeable closer to the line of scrimmage when playing as a box safety or in the slot corner role.
He should benefit from a change of scenery to a more supportive and stable defensive environment. The Browns were routinely shuffling LBs and CBs in and out due to injuries and ineffectiveness, making it very hard for the safeties to stick to their more limited roles and not look bad.
Cost could be an issue. Johnson is coming off a three-year, $33.75 million deal with the Browns. Even after the relatively disappointing stint in Cleveland, Johnson remains one of the best safeties on the market — and figures to get paid like it, too.
With Lions starter DeShon Elliott a free agent, it’s tempting. But that role isn’t where Johnson has typically thrived. He’s at his best in the role a healthy Tracy Walker fills in Detroit, and the Lions are invested in Walker to return from an Achilles injury. Kerby Joseph is an emerging force at the other safety spot after progressing rapidly as a third-round rookie in 2022. I’m not confident in Johnson’s ability to be any better than Harris was in the slot/nickel role, not after watching him the last two years in Cleveland.
Bottom line
The Lions figure to have some interest in Johnson’s skills and potential redemption story. But there are other teams (Chicago and Indianapolis among them) who appear to need him more than Detroit does in 2023, and those teams are apt to offer Johnson more than the Lions will to play for them in 2023. If those offers don’t come for Johnson, he’d make a smart pickup by the Lions.
